Drive in to the edge of town, park, ride to work, ride back to the car, drive the rest of the way. If you had an old beater bike you could leave locked up where you park, that saves a bit of hassle. Great article Brendan! As one who rides his bike every day to work I had to chuckle. Sunday evenings are when I drive my attire for the week to the office. It is, of course, a choice. You could also choose to preserve the environment by riding your bike to work so your kids will have the great outdoors to enjoy when they get to be your age.
In a previous job, I was told I could not walk the mile to work because it made me smell bad. I was told that I was required to drive. I sweated a lot less walking to work than I ever have biking. As a result, I will not bike to work if I do not have a shower available at my destination. Bike to work? What about all those exceptional circumstances: What if I needed to carry something bulky and heavy one day. What if it was really torrential rain and howling wind one morning.
And what about those days the wind swings around so I get headwind there and back? Then, what if I live too far away — how can I possibly drive part of the way or ride in one direction and take the train in the other?
You are being quite ridiculous. Nice article. Most of the comments in reply that list additional excuses for not riding add up to: It depends on weather, how far your job is, and how fit you are. I ride my bike to work almost everyday. How about that. I like being able to go wherever I want whenever I need to, to pick up groceries right after getting my kiddo from daycare, or to make a last minute lunch meeting, or to have more quality interactive time with my family.
Not an excuse, just an honest choice. Not only that, but what if you work late? Riding a bike here at dark would be very dangerous, especially here in the city. Crime is ridiculous. Since you are not intend to ride a bicycle to work. Make sure you keep your driver license. Try not to lose it. Otherwise you will have no choice but humping on a bicycle anyway. Make sure you follow all the procedures that will keep you from losing your driver license. Paying your child support is one of them.
Thanks for the great suggestions! Options I see for my situation of 22 miles each way to work: 1. Start off by riding to work ONCE a week. Pick the best weather day. Drive part way, then ride the other part and do it often. Subscriber Account active since.
As John F. Kennedy once said , "Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride. I, on the other hand, have never been much of a cyclist. I didn't even own a bike for a decade of my adult life, and rode considerably less than most other kids when I was growing up.
I was more of a skateboarder. In my current hometown of Victor, Idaho, however, not only does everybody bike, but the wide network of bike paths makes it a very easy form of transportation. For those reasons, I bought myself a bike soon after I moved here and from time to time take it on short spins around the valley. Related: I moved from LA to a town of 2, people — here were the biggest culture shocks I faced in small-town America. After spending a few years as a casual cyclist, however, car troubles forced me to get around exclusively by bike for a little less than three weeks.
As it turns out, not only did riding my bike everywhere for a few weeks change my outlook on my town, it changed my outlook on myself. The main road I drive on every day, that one I'd always thought was long and flat and straight, apparently goes up and down. It took a ride on the bike path that runs parallel to the road to see a low point.
I glided easily on even the slightest downhill, and I could definitely feel it in my legs when trying to climb a gradual incline.
Amazing how I missed something as basic as the topography of the road I drive every day because the up and down was conquered by a gas pedal. There's a little spot on my drive home where the road goes over a tree-lined creek. In my truck, it's a sign that I'm getting close to home. But on my bike, it's a shady oasis with a rocky creek running through it. When I was riding home one night, I stopped for what I intended to be a few seconds to check it out — a couple minutes later, I finally remembered I had to get home.
On another bike ride home from a town concert — with my son in front and the sun setting over our shoulders — we both stopped and put down our bikes. We stood there for a few seconds before my boy decided he wanted to walk off the path to the creek to look for rocks, minnows, and bugs. We just barely got home before dark. Even now that I'm no longer biking everywhere, I often still bike with my son to town activities, partly so we can pass through this spot. I've learned I can appreciate going slow versus just concentrating on getting to my destination.
In a previous article , I described how small my current town is — so small that there are no streetlights between the two "downtowns. One night I was riding home from the bar under a moonless, cloudy sky to my house halfway between the towns. Even with the headlamp I'd put in my jacket, I realized I could hardly see. On my bike, I came up on things much quicker than you would on foot, making it even tougher in the dark. When I got to a broken chunk of pavement, I almost crashed since I was riding basically blind and at speed.
At the least, it shook through my whole body, jarring my knee, since my road bike obviously doesn't have shocks. Admittedly, a bike headlight would cut this, but it wouldn't negate the fact that my bike path is very, very dark at night.
The most obvious savings I experienced in my time on a bike came from not having to pay for gas, which ultimately meant I wasn't using fuel. An overloaded backpack can move your center of gravity backward, potentially causing dangerous weight shifts. To avoid this, choose an adjustable backpack that fits snugly to your back without constricting motion. Bike fenders are basically mud flaps for your bike. They attach to your front and back wheels and capture splash-up, reducing the amount of road grit, mud, dirt, and water that reaches your clothing.
Unless you can bring your bike all the way into your office, you need a lock to keep it safe during the workday. Invest in a solid metal U-lock , which is harder to pick or cut than a flexible cord lock. Affordable running or cross-training shoes are ideal. If you work up a sweat on your commute, you may need several changes of clothing in a typical week. In wet or cold weather, waterproof under- and overlayers are critical. For your outer layer, use waterproof athletic pants or ski pants and a windbreaker or raincoat, depending on the temperature.
Waterproof athletic underlayers, such as Under Armour , can protect your legs, torso, and arms from sweat and seeping water. On dry, chilly days, a regular scarf or turtleneck should be fine. For very cold or rainy days, a waterproof face mask or cowl may be required.
Functional sunglasses are fine for bright days. Costs run the gamut depending on your style and brand choice. Even on a short bike commute, hydration is your friend. For frequent bike commuters, a durable plastic or metal water bottle quickly pays for itself relative to disposable bottled water. Clothing and equipment wear out. And like cars, bikes require ongoing maintenance and care. The rate of wear on your brake pads depends on how much you ride, how many hills you encounter, and how aggressively you accelerate and stop.
Pads can wear out in as little as two months or last for several years. Be sure to lubricate your chain every week. Without proper care, the chain may break suddenly, leaving you in a tough spot on the side of the road.
To spot wear before it causes a break, look for loose connections or thin sections of metal along the length of your chain. Replace your chain at least once a year. Bike tires are like car tires.
Eventually, they become bald and lose their grip. Older tires may also be more vulnerable to punctures and flats. If you have a road bike, replace its tires when it becomes difficult to discern tread patterns. Other components of your bike may wear less predictably. Though biking is an efficient form of exercise, using less energy per mile than walking, jogging, or running, it clearly requires more effort than sitting in a car. If you need to carry bulky equipment for work such as a briefcase, laptop, or change of clothing, your effort increases further.
For many who make the switch to bike commuting, health is a big reason why.
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